All muscles have various types of muscle fibers. To improve strength, all types of muscle fibers should be worked during a training session. For some specific exercise combinations that use all types of muscle fiber, this article on a workout plan. Fast twitch and slow twitch are the two primary fiber categories, and fast twitch fibers are further categorized as Type A and Type B. In most of the muscles in our body, there are about 50% fast twitch and 50% slow twitch mucles fibers. A training program that works the entire muscle – both fiber types – builds more muscle.

Fast twitch muscle fibers work anaerobically – they are exercised when you need short bursts of strength or speed. Anaerobic means they move using the energy stored in your body. Because fast twitch neurons fire faster than slow twitch nerve cells, fast twitch muscles fatigue more rapidly. Fast twitch muscles are exercised when a sprinter runs, using a lot of power for a very short time.

Type A uses both aerobic and anaerobic metabolism and are considered intermediate muscle fibers. Activities that are relatively short, but not at full speed use Type A fast twitch fibers. Only anaerobic energy is used by Type B fast twitch muscle fibers. Type B fast twitch muscle fibers have a contraction rate higher than all other muscle fibers so they fatigue quickly. These muscle fibers are used when you require a high performance rush of energy.

Slow twitch muscle fibers use aerobic metabolism. These fibers contract slowly and can work for longer than fast twitch muscles, but they do not produce a lot of force. There are a lot of capillaries within these muscle fibers to provide oxygen rich blood for energy. The slow twitch muscle fiber is used for medium to low intensity exercises that can be completed over a long period of time. Some examples are running a marathon, an extended bike ride or hiking in the mountains.

If you want your muscles to work at their peak during any type of exercise you choose to do, your strength workout should work all types of muscle fibers. You can find reviews of programs that adhere to this principal at Turbulence Training Review and No Nonsense Muscle Building Review. There are a lot of programs out there, but next I’ll give you some ideas on how to train each muscle type – you could easily make up your own program.

Choose an exercise that requires maximum effort for a short period of time to train your fast twitch type B muscle fibers which are completely anaerobic. Sprint at full speed or lift a weight that you can only do one repetition to fatigue. To train fast twitch type A fibers you should lower the strength required and increase the time – run fast but do not sprint and do it for 20 – 30 minutes, or lift a weight that requires 6 – 10 repetitions to fatigue. Slow twitch muscles are strengthened when you train for endurance. Lift weights small enough that you can complete 3 sets of 6 – 10 repetitions, run for an hour or swim 100 laps. This training will take longer than training for fast twitch muscle fibers, but it is necessary to perform this training also to build the entire muscle and get the maximum strength you are looking for.